research assistant

graduate researcher

postdoctoral associate

cleaner

graduate assistant

Stony-Brook-University

I’m currently working as an assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at Stony Brook University. Over the past few months I have prepared speeches for the vice president, created presentations, created a strategic plan and guidelines regarding policies and procedures to start social media accounts for the Office of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and have begun to create web content for the creation of a first generation student website. I’m currently collaborating with all the student affairs departments to gather information regarding student learning outcomes and institutional assessment for Middle States Accreditation. As an assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs I have developed my interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills and possess the ability to meet deadlines and stay organized in a busy office environment.
While acquiring my Masters degree I gained supervisor experience volunteering in the Campus Recreation Center, advising 30 students during winter orientation, and teaching and supervising an Advising 101 course for international students. During this time I learned about my students’ experiences, goals and interests, and helped them with any obstacles they faced throughout their college journey.


As a student assistant, we get to select which hours we work through the entire week.  Each day at the job, we look out for other students, prepare for events (ranging from small clubs of 10 members to school size events filling up an entire auditorium), and working with others to prepare for such events.

I learned the value of commitment, as many of these events could not occur without our help.  Additionally, we learned to work with each other to help the job done and fast. 

Management was really friendly.  They gave us training on the first day and afterwards, prepared us for more specific training for our centers.  If there was anything we needed, we could give them a call to clarify our issues.

The workplace culture was really relaxing.  When we were not prepping for events, we were allowed to do homework, so that is a major plus.

I found the hardest part of the job was last minute changes by club coordinators.  If they email us a change a couple of hours before the event, we may not see it in time and have already prepared the previously agreed upon setup.  Other times, the club coordinators do not respond at all, so it is hard to communicate.

On the other hand, the most enjoyable part of the job was after setting up for the events, we get to see and occasionally partake in huge events that we set up for.

I work in the department of Specimen Recieving. Work is pretty technical, requires some knowledge of medical terminology and computer knowledge. The pay is very low relative to the sometimes challenging technical work involved. 
List of things I had to deal with:
- when it rains hard outside, the main drain pipes in the hospital breaks and we get flooded. Boss threatened to fire us if anyone post video of waterfall gushing through the ceiling on social media.
- there are no official contract. when I was hired as nightshift, changing to dayshift was extremely difficult, I was given an offer for dayshift without any contract or paperwork. HR doesn’t make such forms. So supervisor took advantage of this and forced me and others to continue to work nightshift (even with dayshift offer) for many months. 
- environment is cut throat. Everyone is out to protect themselves and to go home without being written up (as they call it getting a psn). Hardly ever do they help each other out and try to understand the fault of the system and not the staff.

Campus central HR has recently been trying to hire a new VP and can't seem to find someone and they've had a series of interims and consultants as they have rolled out new initiatives and restructured departments. Departments have been paralyzed as they try to fill vacancies because the team moves at a snails pace and makes up fake rules that don't actually exit and/or are not actual laws. There appears to be a lot of tension, distrust, and people who suffer from indecisiveness and then jump to making rash decisions that have a tremendous impact on the broader campus. At the end of the day, coming from higher performing organizations who truly prioritize culture and people, this place feels like the HR team is novice, at best, with a lack of commitment to employees. I have seen this have a dramatic impact on retention, culture, and employee experience. I'd recommend steering clear of this institution until they get their stuff together.   

In my 15 year career of numerous high stress and challenging roles Stony Brook University is the best place that I have ever worked.   Everyone is kind, supportive and treats one another with respect with a positive non-toxic corporate culture.  The workload is well balanced and not overwhelming.  Everyone is happy here because they have enough staff to get the work done rather then make one person do the job of three like so many other long island companies.   Hybrid remote schedule is amazing and the days you do work its fun to walk around the beautiful and happening campus while on your lunch break.  Very generous holiday, vacation, sick, health insurance, retirement, package.  Everyone leaves on time.  I can see why so many employees have been here for 5, 10,15 20 years.  Working for the state is the absolute best. 

receiving report on about 4-6 patients. Introducing my self to the patients and letting them no my name and title and that I will be there nurse for the night. Assessing all patients before administering medication. Reviewing patients electronic charting to see  V/S, lab results are WNL, test results, reviewing what medication the patient will receive at 2200, going in the Pixis and getting the patient medications out. making sure patient has all medication need for 2200 and if not ordering it from pharmacy. when giving medication always check doctors orders  identified the patient; name, date of birth. scan wrist band as well as medication any red flags that come up, acknowledge and respond to it. delegated to a nurse aide if patient needs glucose test, turn and position, etc. Any change in patient calling the MD. If patient is requesting a medication also calling the MD or text paging. Drawing labs on patients from a port/Flush, inserting IV/Foley cath. Learning how to navigate the electronic patient charting, Monitoring patient on telemetry etc.

Stony Brook University offers an exceptional academic experience, blending rigorous coursework with a vibrant campus community. The faculty are highly knowledgeable and dedicated to student success, providing valuable support and guidance throughout each program. The university is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including modern labs, research centers, and a robust library system, enhancing learning and discovery. The campus is beautiful, with a variety of green spaces and recreational options that make it a pleasant environment to study and relax. Stony Brook’s commitment to diversity and inclusion fosters a welcoming atmosphere for students from all backgrounds. Additionally, the career services and networking opportunities are outstanding, helping students make strong connections in their chosen fields. Overall, Stony Brook is a fantastic institution that combines academic excellence with a supportive, community-oriented environment, making it an excellent choice for students seeking both personal and professional growth.

Volunteering at the hospital has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Each day, I work alongside compassionate healthcare professionals dedicated to patient care and wellbeing. My duties vary, from assisting at the reception desk to delivering meals and offering companionship to patients. The hospital staff is always supportive, providing thorough training and guidance, which has greatly enhanced my confidence and skills. The most rewarding aspect is interacting with patients, hearing their stories, and witnessing their resilience. These moments of human connection are profoundly touching and have deepened my empathy and understanding. Additionally, the hospital environment is dynamic and inspiring, offering valuable insights into the healthcare system. The sense of purpose and the positive impact on patients' lives make every shift meaningful. I highly recommend hospital volunteering to anyone looking to contribute positively to their community while gaining invaluable personal and professional growth.

A typical shift is 3 hours a night from 6pm to 9pm. Shifts take place sunday through friday, and each caller is required to take on at least three shifts. You develop strong communication skills through this job and it provides beneficial insight to future careers and the university itself. Management is professional yet relaxed, allowing callers a lot of freedom while still maintaining the company standard. In terms of co-workers, it becomes a very close knit environment since all the callers are in the a very small vicinity helping each other. The hardest part of the job is obviously calling a pitching the fund to prospective donors, but even this becomes second nature after a few months of working there. The most enjoyable part of the job is most definitely the people you work with, we definitely keep each other entertained and maintain a great work environment.

I was a temporary for Stony Brook twice for a total of 6 years and was told how great they treat their employees until I worked for the company and saw how poor the management was and how there was favoritism and drama that wasn't handled by the management.
I was forced to leave due to I wasn't part of the drama and came and went when my work was done. I was offended by the lack of judgement and how things were over looked depending on the person. There was foul play and patients had to pay the price when it came to their health. I had to leave because i couldn't stand to see healthcare be thrown out the door over money. I enjoy helping people not hurting people with words and forcing them to make decisions they were not ready for and also to not hurt their feelings.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research assistant 8 salaries reported	$36,211 per year
Graduate researcher 11 salaries reported	$31,508 per year
Postdoctoral associate 26 salaries reported	$56,470 per year
Cleaner 42 salaries reported	$33,346 per year
Graduate assistant 5 salaries reported	$27,000 per year

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